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Latham House

Latham House

Latham is a shining beacon of all that is great in Repton. Renowned for its diversity and sociability, the individual talents of each member of the House are celebrated in a way which is unique. There is an excellent interaction between year groups and success as well as effort in academic and co-curricular life are respected and encouraged by all.

Although we count in our midst some of Repton’s finest scholars, our make-up is a rich tapestry of talents, with county cricketers and academy footballers harmoniously rubbing shoulders with outstanding choristers and musicians as well as gifted actors and junior rally drivers! Nonetheless, what stands above all else is the sense of unity and cohesion in the House; whether a Lathamite is an academic scholar or simply an enthusiastic member of the House community, he is valued and welcomed into the fold.

The House itself was founded in 1857 and is the only House in Repton named after its original Housemaster, the Reverend Edward Latham. Originally based in the High Street, the House moved in 1918 to its current premises in Tanners Lane. Surrounded by playing fields and tennis courts on three sides, Latham enjoys a peaceful and idyllic location away from the hustle and bustle of the High Street, yet remains within striking distance of all the major school sites most notably the science priory, chapel, music school, sports pitches and sports centre.

House Parents

Sam and Erin joined Repton in 2012 and took over the helm of Latham House in 2013, with the help of their children Felix, Stella and Beatrix, and their loyal feline, "The Puss".

Sam joined the School as a teacher of French and Spanish and spent his first year as a tutor in the Cross House. Having been raised in the Lake District, he spent his teenage years as a boarder at Gordonstoun School which furthered his love of nature and the outdoors. He read Languages at the College of St. Hild and St. Bede, Durham University, where he met Erin. Prior to becoming a teacher, Sam worked in industry for six years, marketing at Diageo, Unilever and latterly in Formula 1, before starting his teaching career at Whitgift School, South Croydon. There he held pastoral roles on the Fifth and Sixth Form teams before serving as the Head of the French Department for two years prior to his arrival at Repton.

Among other activities, Sam is a sports enthusiast, with particular fondness for ball sports and barefoot running! In addition, he has a passion for music of all genres, foreign travel and the cinema, and happily labels himself as a ‘foodie’. He has coached both U16 hockey and U15 B/C football at Repton and been an active member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, where he is an accredited assessor.

Erin was educated at Chelmsford County High School for Girls, before studying Civil Engineering at Durham University, where she was awarded an army cadetship and so attended a short officer training course at RMA Sandhurst. Despite revelling in her army years with the Royal Engineers, she instead pursued a career in industry. For ten years Erin worked at Unilever, marketing such delights as PG Tips and Sure deodorant. It was the scent of a more civilised family life that lured her away from industry and up to Repton with the family, where she has spent her time continuing to raise the mini Merlins as well as throwing herself into Repton school life. She is a hugely visible and active member of all things Latham and will also frequently be seen on the netball courts where she has a coaching role.

Erin shares Sam’s passion for foreign travel, sport and the outdoors, always trying to combine all three with ski trips abroad. She is also an accredited assessor for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and a self-professed useless but eager pianist. In 2013, Sam and Erin are delighted that they have been joined in Latham by the House’s inaugural resident tutor, the enthusiastic and committed Riccardo De Rosa, Geography teacher.